blondies

I might be the only one who agrees with me on this, but I believe that I have only one blond-haired child. Yes, Caleb has fair colored hair, but I like to call it light brown, not blond. Garrett's hair? THAT is blond. (It is also devoid of much pigment; when Garrett's hair is wet, he looks bald.) Garrett will likely always be blond while Caleb's hair, which is already darker to begin with, will continue to darken as he grows older. Mark my words. Garrett is blond; Caleb is not.

But that is not what I wanted to post today. Today I wanted to share a recipe for the most delicious blondie bars I have ever eaten. Usually when it comes to brownie-like desserts, I vote chocolate all the way, but these easy-to-make blonds have turned my head in the other direction.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Blondies

nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups flour, spooned and level
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8" baking pan. Line pan with a piece of parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides; spray parchment with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugars, then whisk in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then add pecans and chocolate chips. Spread batter in the prepared pan and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan. Holding both sides of the paper overhanging, lift the cake out of the pan, transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares.

Recipe from Real Simple.